Anesthesia

Description of the Procedure

To prepare you for surgery, a nurse will place an IV line in your arm. You may receive fluids and medicines through this line during the procedure. The doctor will place a breathing tube through your mouth and into your throat. This will help you breathe during surgery. You will also have a catheter placed in your bladder to drain urine.

The doctor will make an 8-10 inch incision to open the abdomen. Surgical staples will be used to divide your stomach into two unequal portions. The upper portion will be a small pouch. It will empty through a tiny opening into the lower portion. The small pouch can hold only ½ to 1 cup of soft, moist, and well-chewed food. A normal stomach can hold 4-6 cups.

Next, a plastic band will be wrapped around the tiny opening. This will prevent it from stretching. This band can be adjusted after surgery. The incisions will then be closed with staples or stitches.

At Home

Be sure to follow your doctor’s
instructions. You will need to practice lifelong healthy eating and exercising habits. Keep in mind after your surgery:

You may be out of work for 2-6 weeks after surgery.

Do not drive or lift anything heavy for at least two weeks.

You should walk as soon as possible, with a goal of exercising daily.

You may have emotional ups and downs after this surgery.

You will meet regularly with your healthcare team for monitoring and support.

Your new stomach is the size of a small egg. It is slow to empty. This will make you feel full quickly. Nutritional steps include:

You need to eat very small amounts and eat very slowly.

You will begin with 4-6 small meals per day. A meal is two ounces of food.

For the first 4-6 weeks after surgery, all food must be pureed.

Once you move to solid foods, food must be well-chewed.

When making food choices, ensure that you are getting adequate protein.

Eating too much or too quickly can cause vomiting or intense pain under your breastbone. Most people quickly learn how much food they can eat.

This procedure does not cause nausea and
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if sweet or fatty foods are eaten. In fact, some people gain back weight because they continue to consume soda, ice cream, or other high-calorie foods. To promote ongoing weight loss, avoid high-calorie foods.

Be sure to follow your doctor’s
instructions.

You may need to take medicines, as directed by your doctor, which may include:

Antacids

Pain medicines

Vitamin and mineral supplements

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, call your doctor if any of the following occurs:

Signs of infection, including fever and chills

Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site

Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given

Blood in the stool

Pain, burning, urgency, or frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine

Gastrointestinal surgery for severe obesity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at:
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gastric.htm. Published December 2004. Updated March 2008. Accessed July 19, 2008.

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care
provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a
substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the
advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to
starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a
medical condition.